


source of irritation

by CadetDru



Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Bad Flirting, Bertie's Sidequest (Rusty Quill Gaming), Cheekbones, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Ridiculously good-looking, Snark, Strangers to Lovers, blue veins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:34:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28496901
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CadetDru/pseuds/CadetDru
Summary: Tjelvar didn't miss Edward when they separated. They'd never had a chance alone.  They would never have a chance. They had nothing in common except a brief adventure together.Even if...
Relationships: Edward Keystone & Tjelvar Storsnasson, Edward Keystone/Tjelvar Stornsnasson
Comments: 12
Kudos: 13





	1. even if

Splitting up the impromptu party was an relief.There was enough to be done. Tjelvar had a lot on his mind, but Edward Keystone kept coming back to the forefront. Ed was an annoying presence. Just being near him had made Tjelvar different layers of uncomfortable. There were conflicting reasons as to why it had been difficult to have him around. 

The first was that, well-meaning though he was, he was incapable of helping link together a chain of deductions. Tjelvar could deal with that the way that he always did: by moving past it, whether around or through. He had experience with academic matters, and didn't suffer fools lightly.He didn't suffer them at all.

The second was his single-minded focus on Apollo, his devotion to his god overruling all else.Just being around him was like being around a living work of art, like a breathing statue of his precious Apollo.He was ready to convert those around him, just because of the dumbstruck looks that they wore when he spoke. Faith wasn't something that Tjelvar had either disparaged. He just hadn't found something that he could truly believe in.Too much time around Edward, and Tjelvar had alternated between wanting to drop to his knees to praise Apollo and run screaming from the whole thing.

The third was that his very presence was completely distracting.He was Pretty in a way that was difficult to comprehend. That was something that Tjelvar had less experience with.Attractive young men had been known to enter into his orbit, but not someone like Edward. It inspired hope and fear.

Tjelvar didn't miss Edward when they separated. They'd never had a chance alone.They would never have a chance. They had nothing in common except a brief adventure together.

Even if...

Even if it had all been different, if they'd been able to journey back to England together. Even if they'd been able to spend time together away from Bertie's hungry eye, if they'd managed to shake Friedrich without Tjelvar being out into the the position of authority above Edward. Even if they'd been able to travel together as equals, if Edward hadn't been a liability.

Even if...

There was no hope for it.There was no way. The world changed too much. Tjelvar found his way to Cairo over time, keeping himself safe and proving himself along the way. He'd stop in at the Cult of Apollo wherever he found it, regret and hope driving him to find what he'd lost, what he'd never had.That irritation still nagged at him. 

He grew used to it, the handsome young paladin becoming nothing more than a passing daydream that never seemed to pass. 

Then he saw him, and the irritation came back all at once. A flood of sand that grated at his eyes and head.It couldn't really be Eddie, not in the world as it was.

The man who might very well be Eddie didn't recognize him at first.When he did, he swept Tjelvar into a crushing hug.It wasn't something that happened to an Orc often.He froze at first, then gave himself over to the crush of Edward's body around his.


	2. abrasion

They were quarantined together in Cairo. It had been Ed's idea, somehow, and the relevant authorities seemed all too happy to assign Ed to someone. Tjelvar was now a patient, a suspect, and a minder at once. Ed was somehow convinced that they were bonded together. They had a deep connection that only Ed could understand. Tjelvar hoped that having a paladin vouch for him would somehow speed things up, but it didn't.

Ed was used to other people being in control, in taking direction and criticism. He was also used to being able to ask anything that came to mind, if not necessarily getting an answer in return. Tjelvar couldn't imagine Ed having been taken advantage of in the past, emotionally manipulated into asking certain questions. He especially couldn't imagine doing so himself, mostly because he wouldn't let himself. 

A week in Eddie's presence was at least six days too long. If they'd been lovers, if Tjelvar had a way to interrupt Ed's ongoing questions, then it might have been more tolerable. As it was, they were simply two ships in the night, same as they'd ever been Ed's friendliness was nothing personal. He tried to stay physically away from Tjelvar, in case one or both of them were infected. He seemed to have the vaguest understanding of personal space, especially after Tjelvar reinforced the idea so many times. That helped keep the more ridiculous of the daydreams at bay. Oh, but Ed was so pliable and eager to please...

The worst part, among many worst parts, was when they were checked for the veins. Tjelvar blessedly went before Ed, under both intense privacy and scrutiny. Then Ed was examined, in seclusion and secrecy, and would invariably come back in some state of undress. Shirt undone or even forgotten altogether. It wasn't right to ogle someone so naive in such a state. Ed had to know how good-looking he was, but he didn't have to know what Tjelvar's private thoughts were on the matter.

Privacy of any kind had been discarded in the face of security and safety. Tjelvar understood, in a general sense, why this was so. In a personal sense, his feelings towards Ed were so inconsequential so as not to need to be seen by anyone. If they had been lovers, then the daily mandatory nudity would have been even more awkward. Tjelvar would at least have been able to successfully talk to Ed before and after the experience. If they had been lovers, then Tjelvar wouldn't be compelled not to look.

Towards the end of the week, Ed had seemed to decide that shirts were completely optional, all the easier for everyone to see that he was not infected. It was a calculated move to either put everyone at their ease or catch them off guard. 

After the end of this, Tjelvar was told-- loudly, and in front of Ed-- that embarrassment wasn't something that the infected felt. The paladin had proven that Tjelvar was fine after all.

Ed was lingering, hanging around Tjelvar when this was jokingly explained. Ed didn't understand what that meant, he said quietly to Tjelvar, one arm lazily flung around Tjelvar's shoulders. Tjelvar extricated himself from the embrace and tried to find innocuous words to explain that he'd been uncomfortable with the fact that they both had to strip. Ed seemed to accept that.


	3. rubbing

Tjelvar needed to have a drink and to be far away from Ed. Neither one seemed to be an option.He could stay wherever he liked, so long as it was with Ed. The paladin vouched for him, which seemed to almost be enough for some influential people. Tjelvar just wanted to have a quiet drink before he left Cairo. The world was constantly changing around him and he needed an anchor, a role that was becoming increasingly Ed-shaped.  


It didn't feel right. He was asking too much of Edward. It wasn't more than Edward was willing to give. Tjelvar still felt like he was taking advantage of the paladin's kindness. It rubbed at him.

Ed had a room for Tjelvar, with a bed and a chair. Ed had a bottle of whiskey for Tjelvar, with two glasses. Ed had undivided attention to give Tjelvar, with that same sunny look.

"I'm right sorry," Ed said, his second-hand sorrow just another thing he had to force upon Tjelvar.

Ed had developed a habit of hanging off Tjelvar like a particularly ostentatious animal pelt.The gods only knew how clingy he might be with a few too many drinks. A large part of Tjelvar was scared to find out. Apollo himself probably had a very good idea.It wouldn't do to run afoul of a god like that. 

Tjelvar installed him across the room since he insisted on hanging around. One chair and one bed meant choosing who got what. Tjelvar opted to take the bed for himself so he could lay down; he didn't want to see Eddie laying in his bed. It hurt to look at him, a twinge in the heart. It hurt to look away, a stone in the throat.

"I don't mind you here, I want you here,Just don't talk to me until I've had a couple of drinks," Tjelvar begged.

"Two or three?" Ed asked, seeking clarification.

Tjelvar didn't answer, just poured himself a large glass. He gestured towards Ed and poured the golden young man a smaller portion.It wouldn't do to try and get a paladin drunk.

"I have friends in Cairo," Ed said. 

"I did," Tjelvar said. "The gods only know where they are now."

"You can try asking them but they don't answer."

Tjelvar nodded and drained the whiskey. He poured himself another. "Gods, I'm tired," he said to his drink."This is drink number two, by the way."

"Right, sorry," Ed said.He sat there, not looking at Tjelvar. "People always think I need someone to look after me. I want to look after someone else."

"That's why you're a paladin, I suppose," Tjelvar said.

"That's right," Edward exclaimed, sunnily as ever.

"And I've fallen into your lap," Tjelvar said.

"Not really though."

"That's why I like to drink in my room with company," Tjelvar said. "Better than drinking alone."

He laid back in the bed, fully dressed and not looking at the handsome man seated across the small room. Ed wasn't entirely dressed, having shed his armor. It was close to being the perfect scenario. He rolled to his side so he could keep drinking and keep not quite looking at Edward. Tjelvar rubbed at the back of his neck.

"You don't like being hugged," Ed said, far too soon for it to be an eventual thing.

Tjelvar glanced at him, then back to his drink. "You're more perceptive than you're given credit for." Than Tjelvar had thought was possible. "Depends on the person and the circumstance," Tjelvar said.

"You don't like it when I hug you." Ed said, staring down at the floor.

"I don't mind it," Tjelvar said. A blush didn't really show on his face. He felt the warmth there."It's just the circumstances."

"I don't do it because of all this vein nonsense," Edward said. "It's just that you're well fit."

Tjelvar didn't look up, just laughed to himself. "That's you, Eddie."

"When they checked us, I wanted to see you, but you didn't want to see me."

"I'd almost think you meant it," Tjelvar said.

"What d'you mean?"

"Everyone wants to see you," Tjelvar said.

"You don't look at me the way I look at you."

Tjelvar finished his drink and set his glass down. Ed walked over to refill his own glass and Tjelvar's if he wanted it. He licked his lips as he looked down at Tjelvar. "Can I kiss you?"

"We're both drunk, Ed." It was an exaggeration by far.Too soon and too little into the bottle of whiskey. It was also too much to think about.

"When we're sober, will you remember that I asked?" Ed said.

"Quite likely. I might think I imagined it, but I'll remember."

Ed's smile widened. "Do you think you might?"

Tjelvar sat up. He reached out to put his hand on the back of Ed's neck. "Some day, very soon, I am going to make sure that you know exactly what I see when I look at you."


	4. Scraping

Tjelvar hadn't slept well, and was nearly awake at the crack of dawn from the wrong side of things.As it was, he had just drifted off in his little room.He felt the weight of Edward's presence.Ed was checking in on him on some accidentally invasive way.Possibly just opening the door instead of anything more energy-draining.

Tjelvar let himself drift back to sleep. When he woke up properly, groomed and dressed himself for the day, he was greeted by Edward before he'd stepped out the door. 

Edward had already eaten breakfast, but he joined Tjelvar. The Tahan residence was mostly halflings, so mealtimes were frequent.

Tjelvar stared at him. His mouth had gone dry.He could,think only of the night before, where Edward had wanted to kiss him and Tjelvar had begged off. 

"Do you know the ties between the past and the future?" Tjelvar said.

Edward shook his head. He was a perfect audience when he didn't try to contribute to the conversation.

"The past shows us what was, which lets us know what could be," Tjelvar said.

"Right," Edward said.

"And that study of the past is controlled by whoever is in charge here and now."

"That's us," Edward said.

"Right now it's us," Tjelvar agreed. "The Temples and the Meritocrats and whoever else says they're in charge. If we fall... the potential represented by the past and future will succumb to the infection as well."

"It can't go back in time," Edward said.

"Probably not." Tjelvar said.

"We'd be infected already if it could," Edward said. "The problem is happening now.And in the future."

"I think you're right," Tjelvar said. "I don't know where I'm supposed to go. My skills are very specific and I just..."

"Just what?" Edward asked

"I'm useless here," Tjelvar said.

"The twins always need more tutors. There's always more that boys need to learn,you can teach them about the past. You're well good at that. I've learned a lot from you."

It was sweet and it was even true.Ed saw something in Tjelvar, in everyone, even if he didn't have any kind of real influence.They were discussing private matters in what was a fairly public area. 

Tjelvar licked his dry lips. "I have some etchings, some notes on the local area to show you back in my room to show you."

Edward's eyes managed to light up. "Yeah?"

Tjelvar nodded. "More scrapings than etchings, maybe."

He didn't take Edward's hand to lead him.He didn't rush ahead.He didn't have any kind of plan. He didn't have any particular etchings he wanted to show Edward, but there were some that he had in mind.He wasn't bringing him back to his room under false pretenses. He was just.

Tjelvar was just.

He didn't have a real ending for that sentence. 

He'd told Edward he'd kiss him sometime soon.Not even that, he'd said he'd show edward how he felt. What did that mean to a man like Ed?

They were in his room, and Tjelvar was showing Edward some of his notes on Egypt. Edward wasn't focusing on the pages alone. "Do you remember what I said?" Edward asked.He probably thought his voice was casual.

"And I remember my reply," Tjelvar said, not looking over at the paladin.

"I'm not trying to push you," Edward said. "Just wanted to be sure you remembered.That it happened."

Tjelvar turned and moved to push Edward up against the nearest available wall.It wasn't a move that he could've done if he hadn't caught Ed flat-footed. It wasn't a move that he could've done at all without Ed's help. He looked searchingly in Ed's eyes before moving for the kiss.


	5. burning

Tjelvar and Edward came to a kind of understanding. They were burning for one another. Not necessarily a perfect match, but they were quite complementary. Tjelvar's reasons to be irritated with Edward's presence didn't go away, even after they established a kind of understanding. Some got better, some got worse.

First was that Edward was still incapable of forming his own deductions and linking them together.He could contribute information and agree with whatever Tjelvar came up with.He could even challenge Tjelvar sometimes, maybe even contribute additional thoughts of his own that he had developed while trying to understand what Tjelvar was saying to him. 

Tjelvar could worry about the future, and Edward would try to cheer him up.Edward could show him what they had in the present.Edward was helpful even outside of intimate settings, once Tjelvar learned his approach.

The second point of irritation was completely devotion to his god first and foremost, clearly blessed by his god with a number of gifts. He glowed with the kiss of the sun at all times, day and night. Under Tjelvar's touch, he felt perfect. Every move that Edward made was in complete surety. He could do no wrong in his eyes or those of his god. 

It was almost enough to bring Tjelvar to Apollo.As it was, it was enough to bring him to his knees before Edward, supplicating himself for Apollo's favor in the form of Edward's touch. When Edward did the same for him, he felt like he was profaning an idol or granting Edward the chance to further prove his devotion.

Edward was still pretty, handsome, attractive, visually pleasing. He was also pleasing in a very tactile and sensual way. Tjelvar had vaguely thought-- when he'd considered it as a possibility-- that if he got the chance to kiss Edward then it would no longer hurt to just to look at him across a room. It wasn't impossible to work with Edward around, but it could still stop Tjelvar in his tracks.

What was worst of all was when Edward claimed to have the same problems. Tjelvar didn't always make the same connections in thought that Edward did, which didn't make Edward feel stupid or slow so much as annoyed that Tjelvar wasn't adjusting himself enough. That wasn't fair.

Edward didn't think that Tjelvar was a distraction in any way and made a point of reassuring Tjelvar mom that front. He didn't like having to reassure Tjelvar of that but it wasn't really Tjelvar's fault if he couldn't be a paladin. He had his own path to follow, metaphorically and maybe literally.

Tjelvar wasn't unbelievably beautiful, wasn't pretty in a way that could poleaxe any one. He was witty and charming and able to talk to people. They related to people in a way that no one ever talked to Edward. It wasn't just down to physical qualities.

"You rub me the wrong way sometimes," Edward admitted, just as Tjelvar was rubbing him just the right way. 

"I could say the same," Tjelvar said.

"You just did," Edward pointed out.Tjelvar silenced him with a kiss.


End file.
